What’s the wildest thing that ever happened to you during an outdoor adventure?
Did you accidentally set your boots on fire? Get attacked by hungry raccoons or investigated by a curious bear?
What’s it like to be a park ranger? What happens when you get bucked off a horse, dangled from a cliff, bitten by bloodthirsty horseflies, or fall smack-flat onto your butt while leading a group of scouts down a trail?
These hilarious and eye-popping adventures will capture your imagination and carry you right into the experience of visiting our beautiful parklands; for all to enjoy! A fun beach read, or great stories for families to share.
Sign up to get updates & get a free guide to
packing for your next trip in just one bag!
Thanks for subscribing! Please check your email for further instructions.
Awards
Praise & Reviews
“Get ready for adventure and big laughs as author Rosanne S. McHenry regales you with tales of her coming-of-age during family camping trips up and down the western United States and Canada. Trip Tales continue when she gives readers numerous rare, up close, and unflinching views of the ups and downs of the life of a ranger—the job she was born to do.”
―BARBARA L. MORITSCH, Ecologist
Author of The Soul of Yosemite: Finding, Defending, and Saving the Valley's Sacred Wild Nature and Wolf Time
“Trip Tales takes the reader through the author’s family experiences that influenced her career choice as a park ranger. Well-written, it is entertaining while delivering a serious message on ‘what it takes’ to work in this field. A must-read for someone considering such a career, and a fun read for anyone.”
―DENZIL VERARDO, PH.D.
Co-author of The Sempervirens Story:
A Century of Preserving the Redwoods
and former Chief Deputy Director, California State Park System
“In Trip Tales, Rosanne McHenry displays her stellar storytelling skills as she takes us with her on her journey from hapless camper to rock star ranger. With humor and insight, she shares the lessons learned along the way as well as her deep and abiding love and respect for the land.”
―DIANNE MILLIARD, National Park Ranger
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
“A delightful tale of adventure in the great outdoors— from childhood camper to park ranger— a life joyously lived and charmingly told with heart and humor. Bravo!”
―JOANN LEVY
author of Yosemite Farewell:
An Untold Tale from the California Gold Rush
and They Saw the Elephant: Women in the California Gold Rush
“Rosanne's engaging stories of her family's vacations in our national and state parks are an inspiration to parents and teachers. Her adventures led to a fascination with nature and a career as a dedicated and passionate National Park Ranger.”
―KITTY WILLIAMSON
Trip Leader, Sierra Club Inspiring Connections Outdoors
and Certified California Naturalist
“The author and I met in unusual circumstances. We bumped into each other in a village in northern Lapland, well above the Arctic Circle. Each of us had been invited to a symposium to speak about gold in our representative countries. Rosanne is a remarkable woman and it is gratifying that she has agreed to commit aspects of this significant life of hers to print.
―DR. RONALD M. CALLENDER
Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society
Author of Gold in Britain
“Trip Tales is a fun and enjoyable stroll down memory lane. I believe all readers who spent their childhoods camping with their families will relate fondly to the adventures and misadventures of the author, her siblings and her parents. As a retired California State Park Ranger, I especially enjoyed Ms. McHenry’s recollections of her time working at Mt. Rainier. I look forward to reading the next installment of her memoir, Trip Tales Two: Travels with Gus.”
―SUSAN McLAUGHLIN
California Supervising State Park Peace Officer,
Ranger (Retired)
Author, Experience Over Stuff
“A fun and insightful read into the joys of being outdoors, and the trials and tribulations in the early life of a park ranger.”
―MIKE LYNCH
California State Park Ranger, Historian,
and retired Ranger/Superintendent
About the Author
Rosanne McHenry lives in Auburn, California with her husband, Vernon. Their home is next to the American River Canyon in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
Rosanne has worked as a National Park Ranger and a California State Park Ranger in many different locations over the years, including the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Mt. Rainier National Park, Auburn State Recreation Area, Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, and Death Valley National Park, among others.
Her time spent on camping trips with her family as a child gave her a tremendous love for the outdoors as well as a deep understanding of how important it is to protect our natural resources.
Trip Tales talks about how her childhood experiences shaped her decision to become a park ranger, and her first assignments working for the U.S. National Park Service in California and Washington.
“Being a park ranger gave me a unique opportunity to talk to people about our natural world, and to instill a deep sense of stewardship in each person I met. This beautiful planet, our Earth, is our shared heritage, and we all play an important role in protecting it.”
Blog Posts
Our car is getting dive-bombed with bird droppings. So is our white picket fence. Our brick walkway is covered in pink and white splats. There are birds EVERYWHERE! Why? Because our neighborhood has so many bird feeders. All kinds of bird feeders. Seed feeders. Hummingbird feeders. Large and small feeders of every conceivable variety. Auburn … Read more
What is it about older neighborhoods that captivates people? Auburn is famous throughout the West for its Gold Rush history. Folks gravitate here to enjoy the hot spots and entertainment venues illustrated in tourism brochures. But, behind all the colorful shops and restaurants, the backstreets are truly beckon us to explore. The hillsides in town … Read more
The Gold Lakes area near Sierra City, CA showcases the spectacular Sierra Buttes. These imposing volcanic monoliths tower thousands of feet above the river valleys below. Dozens of glacially-sculpted lakes surround the peaks, and streams crisscross through emerald green meadows. Autumn is a great time to be here. Visitors to the area delight in the … Read more
When I was a kid I remember our neighborhood mailman. He used to read all our postcards and comment on every one of them. He knew all the people in the neighborhood and all about each one of us. “I see that Nancy had a great trip to New York!” he’d say to Mom and … Read more
My father used to love quoting this line. First attributed to actress Bette Davis, the phrase has been adapted and immortalized into scripts, songs, ballads, and onto countless t-shirts and ball caps. I used to laugh when my dad said this, as he complained about his various ailments. This good-natured take on aging helped him … Read more
So much is happening in the world right now. We are in a high state of anxiety. We are all exhausted from worrying about life on every front: the war in Ukraine, wildfire danger, the rising costs of food, gas, fire insurance, and taxes. It’s getting expensive to breathe. Fear can be paralyzing. We need … Read more